Always There
by trixiefan83
Summary: He's always loved her and now she's grown up. He's always been there and is patiently waiting for her to see. Will she ever return his love?
1. Chapter 1

Always There

Summer 1955

Chapter 1

"Reagan," said Honey, "I want you to meet Trixie Belden. She lives down the road at a darling little place called Crabapple Farm." Reagan looked up from where he was brushing down a horse. "Nice to meet you Miss Trixie," he replied. "Gleeps, you don't have to call me Miss Trixie," Trixie said, "just call me Trixie." Reagan slowly stood and wiping his hands off, and with a twinkle in his green eyes, walked towards them. "The name is Bill Reagan, well really William, but everyone just calls me Reagan."

_Later that Afternoon…_

"So Trixie, what do you think about Reagan?" Honey asked. They were walking along the path between the two houses after Trixie's horse riding lesson. "Can you keep a secret," asked Trixie, blushing a little bit. "Of course I can," cried Honey. "I kind of think he's cute. How old is he" Giggling, Honey replied, "Oh he's ancient. He's about 21. He's been with us for 3 years now. I don't know what we would've done if Daddy hadn't hired Reagan." Trixie tried to appear casual as she looked back to where they could still see him working with the horses. Trixie knew 13 was too young to be thinking about men, especially older men. Red hair and green eyes make the best combinations though. _Little did she know how soon her heart would beat for another red head and green pair of eyes. _

Summer 1960

"Jeepers Honey, come on or we'll be late. Reagan will kill us if we don't exercise the horses today," Trixie shouted as she hurried up to the Manor House where her best friend had lived the past 5 years. Trixie hurriedly put her blonde curls up into a ponytail so it wouldn't get in her face. So focused on this, she wasn't watching where she was going and ran straight into a solid body, in the form of none of than James Winthrop Frayne II, or Jim as he was known to everyone. Honey and Trixie had met him 5 years before when Ten Acres, the house between Trixie and Honey's homes had burned down. He had run away from his abusive stepfather Jonesy and they were helping him find the hidden money in the mansion. After it burned down during that hot and dry summer, he had run away again to one of the nearby boy's camp. Trixie and Honey had gone on a trip and found him a week later. Shortly after, Honey's parents, the Wheelers, had adopted him. Now, with her brothers Mart and Brian, they were part of a group call the Bob-Whites of the Glen, along with Honey, Jim, Diana Lynch, and Dan Mangan. Di had been a poor little rich girl like Honey, and Dan was Reagan's nephew who had come to live with them the winter of 1955.

"Golly Jim," Trixie stuttered now, "I'm really sorry. I'm such a total klutz." With a grin that lit up his green eyes, helped her to stand, all the while keeping up a silly lecture on running and doing hair at the same time. She blushed as she stood up, stumbling a little against him, but his strong hands held her steady. Jim was now 20 years old and a sophomore in college, while she was just 18 and fresh out of high school. Just as when she was 13, Trixie still had a thing for red hair and green eyes. And that fit Jim perfectly. "Thanks Jim," smiling up at him. Jim felt a twinge go through him looking into her sparkling blue eyes. He'd never forgotten how he felt when he first saw her after waking up in his great-uncle's house, and then again when she had found him after him ran away the second. For years, he had been friends her and her brothers. Now, he was back for summer break to find she'd grown up on him. The short blond curls had grown into long, blonde, and curly. She had the right curves, and her smile seemed even more beautiful.


	2. Summer Vacation

Chapter 2

Watching from a distance, another red head watched the encounter. Reagan had known when he first met Trixie, that she and Honey would be very lovely when they grew up. And he was right. Honey, nicknamed for her personality and hair, was very beautiful and graceful, while Trixie had grown into the long-haired beauty standing before him. Honey was like a sister, but Reagan felt no such connections to Trixie. He'd watched her grow up, helped to get her out of scrapes whenever she stumbled onto a mystery. Now, at 26, Reagan finally felt he had the opportunity to say something. He had been planning on saying something at the end of the summer. However, it looked as if someone else was asking first.

"Say Trixie," Jim asked, "Would you like to catch a film at the cameo sometime?" Trixie blushed again, "Golly Jim, I'd really like that. Are the others coming?" "No," Jim replied, "I thought it'd just be us this time." "Like a date?" Now Jim blushed, "If that's alright with you?" Trixie grinned, her good humor restored, "Yes."

The rest of the summer was filled with dates, picnics by the lake, horseback riding, and gazing at the stars. All summer Reagan watched as Jim wooed Trixie, his heart aching a little more. Come the end of summer, Jim and Brian went back to NYU along with Dan, while Trixie, Di, Honey, and Mart went to the local community college. Bobby, the youngest Belden, started at Sleepyside Junior-Senior High. Before they parted, Jim took Trixie to the side to say goodbye privately. "Trix don't forget me will you?" Trixie pulled back to look at Jim, replying, "don't you forget me either." They sealed that promise with a kiss. As the car pulled away, Trixie walked back to her house, reflecting on the summer they had first met. It was the same summer she'd had the conversation with Honey about Reagan. Looking back now, she blushed remembering how silly she'd sounded. Oh, she still thought Reagan was handsome, but always felt out of his league. She would've laughed if she'd known that at that same moment, Reagan was sitting in his apartment above the garage, thinking that he was out of her league. Still, he determined to be patient and wait. Somehow, he knew they were meant to be together.


	3. Winter Break

Chapter 3

Summer turned into autumn, and autumn into winter. Pretty soon it was Christmas break. Trixie was so excited to see Jim, Brian, and Dan again, but especially Jim. They had kept in touch and communicated quite frequently. Impatiently, she waited to hear the sound of Brian's old Jalopy. Only Brian walked in. As happy as she was to see her eldest brother, she was disappointed not to see Jim. Seeing the look on her face, Brian said, "I dropped him off at the Manor so he could see Honey and his parents first. He wanted to catch them up before coming to see you. Trixie sighed. She was a little upset, but she could understand. After all, she'd want to see Moms and Dad first if it were her. A short while later, there was a knock and it was all Trixie could do to rush to the door. She didn't need any more teasing from her brothers, especially Mart, who liked to confuse her with big words. She forced herself to walk calmly to the door, but when she opened it and saw Jim, she forgot to be calm. "Hey Shamus," he said, with that crooked grin of his. "Do I get a hug?" Trixie blushed. "Of course you do," she laughed and launched herself into his arms. Jim lowered his head and gave her a kiss. Trixie wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with all her heart, but something seemed wrong. She opened her eyes, stepped back, and looked at Jim. "Jim, what's wrong?" He blinked and then smiled, a forced smile it seemed to her, and said, "Nothing, just a little distracted by your beauty." He hoped that would take the focus off of his reaction, and thankfully it worked. He didn't want to tell her that it seemed as if the sparks were gone. "Maybe it's because I haven't seen her in 3 months," he thought. "Well, I still have 3 weeks of break to see what's going on. Once I get some sleep and rest up, things will be differently." He hoped.


	4. Reunitedfor Now

Chapter 4

"Oh no," Trixie thought, "I didn't feel a thing when Jim kissed me. I can't tell him that though. It would hurt him so bad. I wonder what happened. Maybe it's because he's so tired from school." Both Trixie and Jim were up until the early hours of the morning, trying to figure out what was going on. By the time they went to bed, they had come to the conclusion that they weren't trying hard enough in their relationship. The next morning, despite being up late, Jim called over to Crabapple Farm early to request Trixie's presents at the Manor. When she got there, Jim waved. "Good morning beautiful," he called. "Goodness Jim, you better stop before someone hears you and thinks you're crazy," Trixie replied. He just grinned. As she got closer, Trixie could see he had both Jupiter and Susie saddled up. Jim held the reigns in one hand and a picnic basket in another. "Trixie Belden, would you do me the honor of going out on a picnic with me?" Teasing him a little, Trixie said, "Well I suppose I ought to, since you went to all the trouble of making this basket, although it was probably Cook it fixed it up." His face went slightly red and Trixie burst out laughing. "Of course I'd love to go with you. This was really sweet of you Jim." With that, she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. Jim just stood there with his mouth open. Trixie had never initiated intimacy before, especially out where everyone could see them. "Are you coming or are you just going to stand there all day catching flies," she called laughing. Startled, he looked around to find Trixie already sitting on Susie. "Thanks Reagan," she said, as the red haired groom came into sight. Looking at Jim, he grinned, despite the pain at having seen the kiss. "He's going to have his hands full," Reagan thought. With that, he went back to work.

Meanwhile, Trixie and Jim were just enjoying the winter's day ride. A thought suddenly occurred to Trixie. "Uh Jim, where and how are we going to picnic? It's the middle of December!" He just smiled and said, "you'll see." Trixie's mind immediately started to wonder, the detective in her intrigued. "Relax and enjoy the ride Shamus. Take a break from mysteries. Besides, this is one mystery you'll have to wait for." Startled, Trixie gave a little start, but then shrugged guiltily. He knew her so well. It was one of the things she loved about him, the fact that Jim could read her so well. Of course, it got irritating at times too. While Trixie was busy thinking, Jim was busy watching Trixie. "Man she was beautiful," he thought. She always had been, but only in recent years had that beauty matured into something much more. "We need to try the kissing thing again. I think last night was a fluke."

Soon they came to a clearing, where Jim declared that they had arrived. Trixie gasped in surprise. Jim had obviously planned this out, or had some help somehow with this. There was already a fire going, a couple blankets, hot chocolate, and some chairs waiting for them. "That's how he managed to get a picnic," she thought. He never ceased to amaze her with his ability to adapt, regardless of the situation. Which reminded her: "we need to try kissing again, so we can prove last night was just a false start." So lost in her thoughts was she, that Trixie failed to notice Jim coming up behind her and so squeaked when she felt his hands on her waist. She jumped and turned around, trying to control her breathing. "What are you trying to do," she demanded, "give me a heart attack?" He just grinned and before she knew it, he was tickling her until she couldn't stand anymore for the laughing. "Stop stop," she gasped in between trying to catch her breath. "Truce?" "Truce," Jim replied, reaching out to help her up, but all her got for his troubles was a loss of balance and he landed on the ground beside her. Winded, he just lay there for a few seconds. Beside him, Trixie was giggling as though she had accomplished a huge feat. Sobering, he just looked at her, and he reached up to remove a leaf from her hair. Tugging on her curl, he got her attention, until she too sobered. "Oh Trixie," he sighed, before leaning down and kissing her. The kiss was gentle and Trixie felt her toes curl up. "Very nice," she thought. It didn't last long, but it seemed to prove their theory that the night before had been a fluke indeed. Jim sat up and helped Trixie to stand. After that, they ate their picnic and just sat around the fire talking and catching up.

That's how the next 3 weeks went. They were almost always together, sometimes alone, and sometimes with the rest of the Bob-Whites. All too soon though, winter break ended and it was time to head back to college, this time with Mart joining them, even though it was mid-season. Trixie, Di, and Honey hugged all the boys and sent them off with waving and smiles, until they couldn't see them anymore. Then they all trooped back to Honey's room and had a sleepover just to get over the loneliness of the boys leaving. Meanwhile, Reagan had never been so glad to see them go. For that, he felt a twinge of regret. He liked all the male Bob Whites, but he had watched about as much gooeyness between Trixie and Jim as he could take. It was getting harder to be patient as he watched the girl, no make that the woman he loved pine after someone else.

Throughout the winter, then the spring Trixie started to notice that Jim wrote and called less and less. And whenever she called him, there was always an excuse or reason why he couldn't talk long or come visit. It was starting to disturb her, quite a deal more than she liked. When it was time for Spring Break, she was so excited because now she might actually get to spend more time with her boyfriend. However, Jim had some disappointing news. "I'm sorry Trix, but I won't be able to come home for the break. I'm going over to Iowa for the week." Immediately Trixie's mind flew to the reason why he was going to Iowa. As if reading her thoughts, he said, "I'm going to visit Ben. He's graduated now, and while he still lives over at the Gorman's, he's been coming up with a lot of good ideas for farming. I'd like to run over a few things with him about farming at the boy's camp I'm setting up for." Trixie could think of another reason: Dot Murray. Beautiful, blonde, smart, and had made no secret of the fact she had been interested in Jim the last time they were in Iowa. Now, she was worried that she might actually lose Jim, but kept this all to herself. "Have fun," she stammered. Making some silly excuse, she got off the phone quickly. Jim, being so distracted himself by his plans, didn't notice the change in her behavior. If things went right, Ben would really help him a lot with the camp.

Trixie, had no such charitable thoughts. All she could think of over the next few days was Dot Murray. Blonde, leggy Dot. "Well I won't let him see me cry or worry about such silly things. Jim loves me. At least I think he does. Well he's on a plane right now, so it's too late to ask him." As she got ready for bed, she sent out a quick prayer that Jim arrive safely at her Uncle Andrew's farm. Unknowingly, a single tear slipped down her cheek. When she finally noticed the tear, she reached out in sudden anger, and flicked it off. "This is silly getting upset over nothing. He'll call me and tell me I'm just being an overly suspicious schoolgirl Shamus." Laying down, Trixie realized she was overwhelmingly tired. All these emotions had worn her out. Without another thought, she fell into a sleep from which she did not awaken until next morning.


	5. Cars and Horses

Chapter 5

Spring Break came and went in Sleepyside for the 3 girls. Trixie, on her part, had felt that it had gone by entirely too fast. Even though she was almost through her freshman year in college, a part of her was still that 13 year old girl who hated school, well actually only math. But at least then she'd had Brian and Jim to tutor her. Now she felt like there was no one. Ashamedly, she bit her lip as she looked up at Di and Honey sitting up front in the car. Trixie was so thankful to have her friends with her. She knew she'd _just die_ if they weren't going through all this with her. And there hadn't been a really good mystery in ages. The biggest mystery had been the picnic Jim had taken her on this past winter. At that thought, Trixie smiled but only briefly as she remembered that she hadn't heard from Jim all week. Not even a phone call or letter. She shook her head to get rid of those thoughts. "Hey Honey, she called up, turn on the radio." As a familiar song came on, the girls all stopped talking and started to sing. They didn't know all the words, and so ended up creating their own at some point. By the time they got to the Manor, they were laughing and giggling so hard, they couldn't hardly speak.

"Well, well, well," said Tom as they pulled up. "This looks like a fun time." Tom, as dark-haired as Reagan was red, was the Wheeler's chauffeur. However, since Honey and Trixie had started driving, he really only drove Honey's parents around. Now, he put on an act to help Honey, Di, and Trixie out of the car. "Oh Tom, you really should stop," Honey giggled, "we can barely breathe now." With a wink and a bow, Tom only grinned, and pulled the car around to the garage. The 3 girls were all still chattering as they walked around to the stables. They had already agreed that it was too nice of a day to go inside, and so decided to go riding. After all, the horses needed to be exercised and Reagan would really get onto them if they didn't do just that.

When they got to the stables however, Reagan was nowhere to be found. All the horses were there, but there was no sign of the groomsman. "Gee, I wonder where he went off to," said Trixie. "Yeah I know," replied Honey, "it's not like him to be away from the stables during the day. Oh well, let's just get the horses ready and go riding. I'm sure he'll be back from wherever he is when we return." With that, the girls went and got their horses ready; Trixie chose Susie, while Di chose the always-gentle Lady. Honey selected her horse Starlight. Once ready, girls mounted up and nudged the horses in the direction of the preserve. Matthew Wheeler, Honey's father, liked to hunt, and so had turned the land surrounding the area into a preserve so that his daughter, son, and all their friends could go riding safely whenever they wanted, although danger had sometimes followed anyways. They decided to go visit Mr. Maypenny, the gamekeeper while they were out, but his place was locked up with no signs of life. "This is strange," Trixie thought, "first Reagan, and now Mr. Maypenny. I wonder where they could be." She would have laughed if she could have seen them at that moment. In fact, all the girls would've.

At that very moment, Reagan and Maypenny were headed by from White Plains, where they had gone to get some stuff for the horses and the preserve. Maypenny was driving, and it was all Reagan could do to keep from vomiting, or closing his eyes. "The next time someone tells me Maypenny's a harmless old man," he muttered, "I'll let them ride around with him for the day. See how they like it." Mr. Maypenny's driving was somewhat jerky and he kept getting distracted which in turn took his focus off the road. Reagan spent half the ride back cursing, and the other half praying for his life, sure at any moment they'd wreck. However, in a short matter of time, they had made it safely back to the Manor, at which point Reagan resisted kissing the ground.

Just about that time, all three girls came into sight on their horses, and they couldn't help but stare at Reagan. They had never seen him such a changing of colors, first green, and then pale white. Of course Trixie couldn't help but make the comment, "it brings out the green in your eyes." At that she snickered, and rolled her eyes. In moments, all three girls were laughing as they dismounted. "Poor Reagan," said Honey, trying to control herself. Reagan, feeling more like himself, walked over to them and took the reigns. "Just wait until you have to ride with him girls," he grinned. They all three gave a mock gasp of horror before breaking into laughter again. Trixie wiped the tears from her eyes and said, "cheer up Reagan, it doesn't have to happen again for another month." At the reminder of their daily trip to White Plains, Reagan turned slightly green again. Trixie felt a little sorry for him at this point and got him some soda water to help settle his stomach. "You guys go ahead, I'm going to stay and help Reagan," she said. Di and Honey protested that they would help to but, Trixie, with a little grin, said, "Nah, go talk to those boyfriends of yours." Coloring a little at the reminder, the three girls said goodbye. Honey and Di both went home, while Trixie went to make sure Reagan was fine, as he had disappeared.

Moments later she found him brushing down Lady. Picking up a brush, Trixie started to brush down Susie. They worked like this in a comfortable silence for several minutes. She had always been comfortable around Reagan. They were good friends, even if he was the Wheeler's groom. Even though he sometimes lectured her on not staying safe or telling the police whenever she stumbled onto a mystery, she could always depend on Reagan to come through for her, and the other Bob Whites for that matter; such as when Dick the Dip was trying to get the diamond had originally stolen back. She had never been so glad to see him in her life as she had then. And Jim, she had been so relieved to find he was safe. Dick had showed with a shotgun, although later he had said it was empty, when Dick tried to take her along for a little "ride". That was the first of many times. Of course she helped to repay the favor, when he was in jail in Saratoga after some bad guys tried to frame him. All the Bob Whites knew they could count on Reagan to be there for them. So deep in thought was she, that Trixie didn't realize that Reagan had been watching her for a couple minutes. He had already finished with Lady and Starlight while she had been lost in thought. He wondered what she was thinking about.

"Penny for your thoughts," he asked. Startled Trixie jumped a little, which in turn startled Susie. She reared back and kicked up a little. Trixie was so stunned by this, that she couldn't move. Susie was getting a little too close to Trixie for Reagan's comfort. "Trixie," he snapped, "move!" She still didn't move. Reagan's tone startled Susie even more, which made her even more skittish. He saw the direction the scared horse was moving. He knew he had to act and fast or Trixie could get seriously hurt. At the same time that Reagan moved towards her, Trixie snapped out of her trance and made a grab for Susie's reigns. Speaking to her in a soft voice, Susie slowly calmed down. All the while, she petted her gently and spoke in an almost hypnotic voice. The horse finally was completely still and silent. And that's when Trixie got the strangest feeling she was being watched.

Reagan listened and watched as Trixie tamed the frantic horse. He was almost hypnotized himself by her voice. He had never heard her speak like this to anyone. All of a sudden he realized the horse was calm and that Trixie was staring at him. Shaking himself out of it, he all but growled, "be more careful next time Trixie and pay attention to what you're doing. You know it's bad to startle the horses." She stared at him. "Who put a bee in your shirt," she asked. Turning red, he apologized. "Sorry Trixie, that just scared me. Honey would have killed me if I had let her best friend get hurt." He hoped she went with that and couldn't see how scared he had been that she had been so close to danger right in front of him. He sighed, "go on home and I'll finish with Susie." "Thanks Reagan, and I really am sorry." With that, she turned and walked down the path to Crabapple Farm, all the while wondering about that strange look that had been in his eyes while she was calming Susie down. She had never seen that look before. "Guess he really was scared," she thought. Then her thoughts turned to school and she forgot all about it. Back at the stables, Reagan was watching her leave. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he got to work on Susie, put her up, and settled in for a night in front of the television. When he got so tired he couldn't keep his eyes open, he went to bed, dreaming of a spirited blonde with blue eyes.


	6. Something's Different with Regan

Chapter 6

Trixie woke up the next morning feeling whole lot better. She just figured that her fears concerning Jim were just due to exhaustion. She made the decision that if Jim didn't call by 8 tonight, she would call him and make sure he was okay. He was probably preparing for finals at the end of the year. He had always been a good student. He had been given a scholarship to college when he was still 15. That was right before he ran from his abusive stepfather Jonesy.

She went up to the Manor where she met Honey and together they left to go pick up Di. The day went by like any other. True, she was a bit more distracted than normal, but then she could never stand to be inside on a beautiful day. And that was exactly what today was. The weather and sun were just perfect to go riding on the trails. On the ride home, she checked with Honey and Di to see if they could go with her but they were both busy with schoolwork. "Oh well," Trixie thought, "I can still go riding. I need the time to think anyways." When she got to the stables, Regan was there as usual, working with Jupiter, Jim's horse. It seemed he had thrown a shoe, so he was so preoccupied that he didn't see Trixie at first.

"Hey Regan," Trixie called out. He looked up from where he was sitting. When he saw Trixie, he grinned. "Well, well, well, what brings you out here?" "It's too beautiful to be inside, so I thought I'd go riding. Honey and Di had homework, so here I am," she shrugged. Silently, Regan thanked his lucky stars, she had come alone. Unfortunately, that also meant he couldn't watch her as freely. "Uh, Regan," Trixie's voice said, "Is there something in my teeth or what?" Regan snapped out of it. He hadn't realized he'd been staring. "Quick man, think of something to satisfy her," his brain said. "Sorry Trixie, didn't mean too. Started thinking about going hunting. Guess you got caught in the crossfire." Giggling, she replied, Crossfire? Sounds like you were thinking of more than hunting. Sounds like you having a shooting match with me in the middle." Regan laughed, relieved to have her thinking about that instead of him staring. Suddenly he noticed Trixie had gone silent.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Trixie sighed. "Regan, can I talk to you about something?" Walking into his office, Regan motioned for her to follow him. "This way, it'll be more private. What's on your mind? Is it Jim?" Startled at someone reading directly into her thoughts, Trixie looked up at Regan. "How did you know?" The groom smiled, "well generally, Jim is the only one that can get you down like this. Now why don't you tell me what's going on." Nodding, Trixie started telling him everything that had been going one with Jim for the past few months. She told him about the picnic, spring break, Dot Murray, everything. Through it all, Regan was mentally yelling at Jim for treating Trixie this way. Why, if he was with Trixie, he'd never take her for granted, would always be there for her, and always let her know how much he cared. "All he said was, "I'm sorry Trixie. Wish I knew what to tell you. Would it help if I tied him to Jupiter and let Jupe run free to teach him a lesson? Turn his hair white?" At the thought of Jim's hair turning white, Trixie started giggling. "No, but thanks Regan. That made me feel a little better." Regan stood and opened his arms, "come here." Willingly, Trixie went, and Regan just held her in his arms, wishing he could stay like this forever. Eventually Trixie pushed away. "Thanks for listening, and for the hug." It really made me feel better just to have someone to talk to." "Sure thing, anytime." With that, Regan went back to Jupiter and started whistling to keep himself from thinking.

After that, Trixie didn't actually feel like going riding anymore. So, she just walked on home, letting her mind wander. It had been really nice of Regan to take time out of his busy schedule to listen to and comfort her. Of course, he had always been there for her and the other Bob Whites. Thinking back, she remembered having his arms wrapped around her. "It felt really nice," she whispered to herself, "I felt safe and happy again." Puzzled, Trixie stopped, then shook her head, and continued walking. "It didn't mean anything. He was just being a good friend." Trying to convince herself of that, she hurried home to do the schoolwork she had put off to go riding. However, those thoughts stayed with her the entire time and she fell asleep wondering what it meant, that it felt good to be held by Regan. She even forgot that Jim hadn't called her, so distracted was she.

Over at the Wheeler's, Regan went to get himself a drink. His throat was suddenly dry, possibly a reaction to having a one Miss Trixie Belden in his arms, if only for a few minutes. He wondered if she had felt anything or if she had enjoyed it as much as she had. His green eyes blinked for a few seconds trying clear the images of Trixie walking towards him for that hug. "Forget it man," he all but growled, "don't go reading into things that aren't there. She thinks of you as a friend, nothing more, nothing less." At least that is what his head was saying. His heart was an entirely different matter. Finally, Regan gave up all pretenses of watching television and gave into the dream he had of Trixie turning those beautiful blue eyes towards him and watching them fill with love. He fell asleep with that image implanted in his head.

A few hours later Regan woke up just long enough to get himself to bed. However, as he was turning out the light, he heard a knock. "Who could that be," he wondered. He opened the door to find Honey on the other side looking concerned. "Regan, is everything alright with Trixie? I know she ended up not riding Susie tonight. That's not like her. Normally I can't keep her away from here." Regan hesitated, not sure if everything Trixie had said to him had been confidential or not. Finally, he opened the door wider for Honey to come in. "Honey, Trixie's just a little down because of Jim." Her eyes widened. "What has my brother been doing now?" Replying, Regan said, "Well it's more like what he's not been doing. Apparently he doesn't call Trixie much anymore and when she calls him, he always has an excuse of why he can't talk. She's starting to worry that he doesn't care anymore." Honey nodded; she could understand why that would upset her best friend. If it had been her and Mart, she'd be feeling the same way. Jim was going to lose her if he didn't get his act together soon. "Poor Trixie," she cried sympathetically. "Talk to her Honey. I did what I could but I'm not her best friend like you. And talk to that thickheaded brother of yours too. Knock some sense into his head. If he's not careful, he'll lose her to someone else." Startled that his words so closely mirrored her thoughts, she just looked at him and when she did, she saw something that had not been seen before. "He loves Trixie," Honey realized, "he really does." Not wanting to embarrass Regan by asking about his feelings, she simply promised that she would talk to Trixie tomorrow and said good-night. There'd be plenty of time to sort this out tomorrow. It was Saturday, for which she and Di were extremely grateful. It was time for a girl to girl session and she wouldn't take no for an answer.


	7. The Kiss

Chapter 7

During the remainder of the school year, Trixie found herself gravitating more and more towards the stables to confide in Regan. Honey had kept her promise to find out what was going on and indeed it was all about how distant Jim had been. It seemed like the honorable Mr. Frayne had broken his promise and was slowly forgetting not only Trixie, but the rest of the Bob Whites. Even Mart, Dan, and Brian hadn't seen or heard from him very much and they were going to school with him. Trixie sighed and hoped a long session of riding Susie would calm her and put her at peace. As she rounded the corner to go into the stables, she ran into a human wall. If strong hands hadn't grabbed her arms and steadied her, she would have fallen onto the ground again. Without thinking Trixie grabbed for the shirt front of the human wall that was holding her to help keep her balance as well. Catching her breath, she looked up, up, and up, into the concerned face of Regan. "You okay Trixie? You almost took a pretty serious fall there? For a second, Trixie didn't say anything. She was too busy staring at Regan. "His eyes are so gorgeous. How have I not noticed before?" Her brain answered, "because you were never this close to him before." Before she realized what she was doing, her hand was reaching up, almost as if it had a mind of its own and touched his face.

Regan hadn't been paying attention to what he was doing when Trixie had run into him full force. In order to keep her from falling, he had to grab her arms. When she just stood there staring at him, he had to control his breathing so he wouldn't give himself away. Her eyes almost looked tender as she studied him. When he felt her hand touch his cheek, his eyes closed for a brief second. When he opened them again, she was still standing there. Before he knew what he was doing, he leaned over and pressed a soft kiss onto her lips. When he pulled back to look at her, her eyes were still closed. "Regan," she whispered. Her eyes opened slowly and he was saw that she looked a little dazed. This time he wrapped his arms around Trixie and held her close. They stood there for a matter of minutes. Regan knew that if she said his name again in that soft voice or looked at him again with those ocean blue eyes, he would end up kissing her again. When she leaned back a little, he opened his eyes and saw her staring at him. This time he felt sure he wasn't imagining things. Trixie was asking him kiss her with those expressive eyes of her. He leaned in again and hesitated, giving her an opportunity to back out. Instead, he felt her arms around his neck. Sighing, he leaned in the rest of the way and kissed her again. This time the kiss was a little more passionate. This time, Trixie Belden returned the kiss.

So dazed was she, that Trixie didn't really have any idea what she was doing. All she knew was that, even when kissing Jim, she had never felt this way before. Who knew Regan could kiss like this? Who knew his arms, so muscular and strong, could be so tender and protective? Not her. But she felt her toes curling, the butterflies dancing, and cheeks flushing. Slowly, the groom's hand rose up her back and entangled his fingers into her blonde curls. They were as soft as he had thought they'd be. Her lips were as sweet as he had imagined, and her skin as sweet-smelling as a rose. He had kissed women before in his short almost-27 years but none had made him feel like this. Likewise, Trixie had been kissed before, by Jim and by Ben Riker when she had to pretend to like him. Neither one had made her want to hold on for dear life.

Slowly they pulled apart, both of them dazed. Suddenly, the realization of what had just happened hit her and she backed away slowly, staring at Regan the whole time. Regan, who was trying to regain his bearings after that heart-stopping kiss realized what she was doing. "Trixie," he said, in a pleading tone of voice. "Regan, we can't," she said, "I'm with Jim and regardless of how distant he's been, I can't do this to him." Heart sinking, Regan nodded. She didn't feel anything then. As if reading his mind, she said,"Regan, I have never been kissed like this before. I have never quite felt this way before. You made me feel so special. "Trix, you are special," he protested, not daring to feel hope at her words. "Let me rephrase that," she said, with a shake of her head that was an amazing and wonderful kiss. That means you have feelings for me?" Blushing a little, the red haired groom nodded his head. Trixie was amazed. She had never even imagined this, plus the fact that she had never ever seen Regan blush. Still, she continued with what she was saying. "Regan, I have to think this through. I have to consider Jim. I don't want to hurt him. He's coming back for the summer and when that happens I'm going to have talk to him. I've been feeling distant from him lately and I feel he doesn't love me like he used to. I don't know. I am asking for some time to clear my head. Is that okay with you?" Slowly the realization that she was saying he might have a chance dawned on him. Hope rose into his chest. He nodded his head. "Would you still like to ride," surprising himself with how normal he sounded. "That would be perfect. Thank you Regan," said Trixie. "And by the way, you are a really good kisser." With that she blushed and rode out of there quickly, leaving Regan standing there with his mouth open, wondering if what just happened had really happened. Grinning, he started whistling and went back into his office, forgetting whatever his original purpose had been in leaving. That kiss had been everything he had imagined and more! Hopefully, her words meant that maybe someday he would get to kiss her again. With a wistful release of air, Regan got back to work, going through the needed paperwork. His thoughts were never far from the bubbly blonde though.

As for Trixie, she was riding like the wind was chasing her. After a few minutes, she calmed down enough to catch her breath and she brought Susie to a peaceful walk. "Wow," she thought, what have I just done? And what will I tell Jim?" She came to a creek and getting of Susie, she hooked her reigns on a branch, sat down, and took off her shoes. Sticking her feet into the cold water, she let them soak while her thoughts wandered. What she had told Regan was true. He was a really good kisser. He knew how to make her feel like a female instead of just another tomboy. Tomboy Trixie was her nickname. Because of her brothers and her penchant for solving mysteries, she had gained the hated nickname. She had always been envious of Honey and Di for being so feminine and girly. However, today, she had never felt more like a female in Regan's arms. He had held her as if he truly cared for her and now Trixie couldn't convince herself that it was just in friendship he cared. Not anymore. Suddenly, Trixie remembered the look Regan had given her when she had almost been struck by the panicky Susie. She had forgotten all about it until now. It had been a look of tenderness, of care, of love? "Bah, I'm letting my imagination run away with me," she thought impatiently. But at the same time, she couldn't help but press her fingers to where their lips had met. Could he love her, Trixie Belden? Was it possible?


	8. An Understanding Comes About

Chapter 8

It had been several weeks since that fateful kiss. Trixie hadn't seen Regan at all in that time. She was extremely grateful he was respectful of her wishes. She had barely heard from Jim at all, but surprisingly it wasn't bothering her as much as it used to. Probably had something to due with a red headed groom over at the Manor, but if you'd asked her that, she probably would have denied it vehemently. Summer break was coming up rather quickly and she knew she needed to talk to Jim. He had always been the one she ran to for comfort or a listening ear. Ever since she had rescued him 6 years before, they had always been close with a special bond. Even now, she still had the identification bracelet he had given her all those years ago. Not paying attention to where she was going, Trixie ran smack dab into a human wall. A/N: _Again, I know folks, it's getting to be a habit for Trixie, but you all know she never was one for paying attention to what was in front of her._ This time, she managed to keep herself from falling by grabbing the "wall's" arms. Looking up, she looked directly into the eyes of Jim Frayne. "Déjà vu," she thought, "a repeat of last year." She hugged Jim. "What are you doing home so soon? Don't you still have some school to finish?" Laughing, she pulled him over to the Gatehouse, where the Bob Whites had all their club meetings.

Jim had been avoiding Trixie all spring for a reason. It's true he was busy with term papers and studying, but lately that hadn't been the only reason. He was already having doubts before spring break, but while in Iowa, he had run across Barbara Schulz. She had grown into a beautiful woman. While he usually when for the blonde hair and blue eyes, her dark hair and chocolate eyes seemed to draw him in. By the end of spring break, when they were saying goodbye, it had taken all of his willpower not to kiss her. Since then, they had been corresponding regularly, even more so than he had with Trixie, he was ashamed to admit. Maybe he and Trixie had gotten together because that's what everyone had expected. They had been paired together when younger, just like Brian and Honey, and Di and Mart. Now Di and Brian were dating, and Honey and Mart were together. Dan was interested in the Belden's cousin Hallie from Idaho. Now, he realized that he couldn't do this anymore. "Trix," he said seriously, "we need to talk." Sitting down beside him, Trixie looked at him and nodded. "I know Jim, I've been meaning to talk to you as well." Both of them were silent for a few moments, the tension building. "Trixie…," "Jim…," They both started at the same time. Flushing, they both fell silent. "You first Jim," Trixie said.

"Trixie, I love you very much, but I'm not in love with you. We both felt sparks, at first, but if you think about it, we haven't felt any sort of connection. Beyond friendship I mean." Biting her lip, Trixie looked down. Mistaking this action as hurt, Jim rushed to reassure her, "Trixie, I'll always care for you and I've never meant to hurt you, it's just I don't think we're meant to be together." Her shoulders started shaking and she still wouldn't look at him. "Aww, come on Trixie, don't cry, please." Trixie stopped shaking enough to look up at Jim for him to see the twinkle in her eyes. He sat back, astounded. "What's so funny," he asked. "Oh Jim, I was going to tell you the same thing. I just didn't know how to go about talking to you about it. I've had suspicions about this very thing myself for months." Sobering up a little, she said, "I also need to talk to you about something. A confession of sorts I guess you could say. A few weeks ago, I went over to ride Susie. Well, you know me, I wasn't watching where I was going and I ran into Regan. He caught me and kept me from falling and before I knew it he kissed me. Not only that but a few seconds later he kissed me again and that time I returned the kiss. Oh Jim, I am so sorry. I never meant to do that. I didn't even know he was attracted to me. Please forgive me." Jim tugged on her curl and gave her a hug. "There's nothing to forgive Shamus. If I had been straightforward and honest with you, we wouldn't be having this conversation anyway. We're both to blame I guess. I'm sorry for being so distance Trix. I really hope that we can continue to be friends." Trixie sat back and stared at Jim, "Of course we can. You don't honestly think that just because we had no romantic feelings towards each other that we had to stop being friends. That will never happen. I will always be there for you just like you'll be for me." They hugged each other, both giving an inward sigh of relief that things hadn't been any harder than they needed to be. They spent the next hour or so catching up on each other before Jim said he needed to go see his parents and Honey before going back to school. He just couldn't stand not talking to Trixie about everything anymore. Before leaving he said, "Stay in touch Shamus and remember that if Regan hurts you let me know and I'll take care of him for you." Grinning, Trixie nodded and waved.

Unfortunately, Regan had seen the hug and assumed that a reconciliation had taken place. Trying to convince himself that he has glad for the two, he couldn't quite do it. "I love her," he thought, "and I want her to be happy no matter who she's with." So deep in his thoughts, he didn't pay attention to the fact Trixie had come into the stables and that he was now talking out loud. For the moment, Trixie was content to watch him. She felt sorry for the fact that he was so upset. She had an inkling what it was but couldn't be sure. "Um, Regan, is everything okay," she asked. Startled, Regan spun around, to see her standing there looking very uncertain. For a moment, he couldn't say anything, just drank in the site of her. In that deep blue shirt that brought her eyes, she looked so beautiful, but then to him, she always had been. "Regan," she tried again. As if coming out of a daze, he shook his head and tried to focus on her words. "Trixie," he breathed out in reply. He knew that he was wearing his heart on his sleeves at this point, but still he moved slowly to where she stood, afraid that if he moved too fast, she'd disappear in thin air. "Where's Jim," he asked. "Jim? Oh he went inside to see his folks, and then had to get back to school." "So what was he doing here," Regan asked, almost afraid to hear the answer. "We ended things between us. It wasn't working out." Trying to keep his heart in his chest, he did his best to sound sympathetic, "I'm so sorry Trixie." With a twinkle in her eye to let him know how _sorry_ he was, she replied, "I'm not. I care for Jim, but I have no romantic feelings towards him at all nor him towards me. I have an interest in someone else." "And who would that happen to be? Anyone I know," Regan teased. "I'll never tell," she giggled. He started walking towards her, only to watch her dart away at the last second. Her eyes were full of laughter. Eyes narrowing slightly, he turned to follow her, his eyes watching her every move. "Oh no you don't, Trixie Belden; you're mine." "Only if you can catch me," she sang out. Regan followed, giving into the chase, knowing that this was the best day of his life. Trixie cared for him, Bill Regan, the groom. Never would he forget.

_A/N: This sounds like the end, but it's really not. More to come._


	9. Everyone's Together

Chapter 9

_A/N: As I was going over some of my Trixie characters, I realized I got the name of Barbara Schulz wrong. It's actually Barbara Hubbell. So sorry about that folks. Our story picks right up from the end of the last chapter._

Trixie started scooting around the side of the stable. She had turned off the light so that Regan couldn't see her. "If he can't see me, he can't find me," she reasoned. "Trixie, where are you?" Regan's voiced dripped with mock concern and she could hear a teasing note in his voice. Silently she kept moving. "I will find you, you know, and when I do, you're mine." Suddenly, she stumbled, and fell backwards. Thankfully she landed in the hay, but she was unable to completely muffle her response. Regan, hearing her quiet "oomph" followed the sound. He knew the stables like the back of his hand and now he knew where she was. Trixie held her breath until the movement stopped. "Whew," she giggled silently, "he doesn't know where I am." All of a sudden, two arms grabbed her around the waist. Surprises, she let out a shriek. "Bill Regan, you scared the daylights—," her words were drowned out by a pair of lips landing on hers. Trixie felt her mind melt, felt her heart pounding. There seemed to be little she could do but put her arms around his neck. She knew that if she wasn't already sitting in the hay, she would've been by now. Her knees were quivering. She pulled away to catch her breath. "Regan, we really need—." For the 2nd time in 5 minutes, cut her off with his lips.

Regan couldn't seem to stop kissing her. Her lips were so soft and sweet, her hair was so wild and curly. He was slowly drowning in her kisses. She pulled away a 2nd time and before he could stop her, she stood up. Slowly, feeling along the wall, she made her way to the light switch and turned on the lights. Turning around, she jumped to see him standing right behind her. He hadn't made a single noise! How did he do that? She started backing away, while Regan continued to come after her. He still hadn't made a single sound. "Regan, we need to talk," she rushed to get the words out. He stopped at her words. He nodded. "You're right Trixie. We do." He led her into his office, but left the door open. He didn't want to be tempted any more than he already was. "How do I begin," he wondered.

Trixie sat there in his office, trying to regain her senses. This was a side of Regan she had never seen before. She had questions, but she sensed the nervousness in him and wisely decided to let him start. "When I first met you Trixie, you were but a girl. I watched you grow up into a beautiful young woman. Yes, beautiful, he continued when she opened her mouth to protest. I watched you and Jim, always together, figuring, just like everyone else that you two would end up together. I was there for you and any of the Bob Whites when needed. I don't know when exactly I realized that I loved you. I just woke up one day, as if out of a daze. I love your spirit, your courage, your loyalty. You would never do anything to hurt those you cared about regardless of how you felt. At least never intentionally. You have such a big heart and everyday I pray that you would find it within yourself to share it with me. I'm not asking you to marry me, not yet, though that's what I want to do someday. I'm just asking you, well, what I'm trying to say is, will you be my special someone?"

Trixie just sat there a few moments trying to let everything he said sink in. He looked miserable as he stood there. And realizing in those few moments, she did love Bill Regan. "Yes," she whispered. Slowly his head rose and he stared at her as if not being able to comprehend what she was saying. "You mean….?" "I mean yes, Regan, I will be your girl. You have to realize though, that I'm about to turn 19 and next year I won't be here in Sleepyside, I'll be at NYU studying for a degree in Law." Hope rose in his chest. "She said yes," that little voice shouted. He wanted to do a victory dance but instead nodded his head in understanding. "I understand Trixie, and I support you 100%." With that he stood up and walked around the desk to where she sat. Pulling her up out of her chair, he wrapped his arms around her and just held her, like he'd been wanting to for a very long time.

_Several Weeks Later_

June was here and summer was beginning. All the Bob Whites were here and celebrating Mart and Trixie's birthdays, and even though they were 11 months apart, decided to share this special day with each other. Trixie's birthday had actually been a couple weeks ago, but she wanted to wait and celebrate it with all of her family and friends. Jim, Dan, and Mart had just made it back last. Everyone was surprised when Jim showed up with Barbara on his arm, and Dan had Jane Morgan with him. Trixie hadn't been surprised about Barbara, but Dan and Jane were a bit of a stunner. Trixie and Jane had a bit of history with each other. At one point, when younger, Jane had been quite a bit jealous of Trixie and the Bob Whites, going so far as to spread false rumors, but everything changed when Jane had gotten caught up in one of Trixie's mysteries. After that, while never best friends, they were at least friendly and respectful of each other. Jane had blossomed into a beautiful young woman. She had run into Dan at NYU and he had been smitten at once. Having heard of Dan's reputation of being a lady's man, she had been quite hesitant to get involved at first. However he had proved himself worthy of her love as the year had progressed.

Barbara, Jim's date, was from Iowa. They had met the summer where the Bob Whites, minus Dan, had gone to help the Belden's Uncle Andy while his sheep were being stolen. Then they had all reunited in New York for another mystery. Trixie really liked Barbara and she was happy for Jim. When Jim had shown up with Barbara, all the Bob Whites had held their breaths, waiting for a reaction, but there was none. Trixie, instead, ran up to Barbara and hugged her as if they were the best of friends. There had been an instant kinship.

Brian was there as well sitting with Diana. After all those years of putting him and Honey together, he had ended up with the raven haired beauty next to him. Trixie thought they were very suited for each other. Both were dark, quiet, and fairly serious. But they also loved Trixie very much and wanted her happy.

Mart had ended up with sweet Honey Wheeler. Truth be told, everyone had been surprised by that. She was quiet and sweet, while he was loud, and _loved_ to use big words. But Mart made her laugh. Honey had shyly confided in Trixie about how she felt for Trixie's almost-twin and had blushed when she said that she was happy for her. The biggest surprise for everyone however, was Trixie's date.

Regan was a little nervous right now. Brian and Mart had already taken him aside and made sure he knew that he wasn't to hurt Trixie or they'd be there. Of course, he assured them he would never ever hurt her. And while, everyone had been surprised, they had all been quick to agree that he was the perfect match for her. They complemented each other.

The rest of the summer was perfect and at the end, Trixie, Honey, and Di packed their bags up and headed to NYU. Regan and Trixie had already made promises to each other and gave their hearts to hold. He was going to miss her but both knew that the future was full of hope.

_Three Years Later_

Regan stood with the rest of the crowd as Trixie walked across stage to accept her diploma. His cheer was the loudest. He had been accepted full force into both the Wheeler family and the Belden family. They had made him feel as if he truly belonged. Originally, Trixie had wanted to study law, but she actually went into Criminal Justice degree. She had worked extra hard and during the summer to ensure she graduated early. Soon the ceremony was over and Trixie had rejoined Regan and her family to celebrate. They were finally together again. After everything had settled down, the Lynch's, Wheelers, and Belden's went out to a nice dinner to celebrate Trixie's success. Trixie noticed Regan getting quieter but didn't want to push him into saying anything yet. As she reached for his hand, he stood up and got everyone's attention.

"As you all know, Trixie and I have been together for 3 years and I've loved her longer than that. And now that she's graduated, I would like to ask her a very important question." Kneeling down before Trixie and taking the ring out of his pocket, he said, "Trixie, I love you so much and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, raising a family, solving mysteries, and growing old together. I've already spoken with your parents and they've given me their blessing. Trixie Louise Belden…..will you marry me?" Gasps showed around the table as everyone waited for the person in question to give an answer.

Trixie didn't answer for a second, but then she raised up her head, blue eyes sparkling with unshed tears, and said one word….."Yes."

_Thank you all for reading and supporting me in this story. As I said, it was my first. Sorry to all you Trixie/Jim fans. However, tune into my next story to see if Trixie and Jim do end up together, if Regan finds love, and if Dan will ever find that special someone to cherish._


End file.
